Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In a typical electrophotographic-method image forming apparatus, a developing device supplies a developer onto an electrostatic latent image formed on a circumference surface of a photoreceptor drum as an image carrier to perform a development process. The developer used for the development process is replenished to the developing device from a developer housing container.
There has been proposed a technique where the developer housing container is installed removably attachable on an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. In this technique, when a cover of the apparatus main body is opened, the developer housing container is mounted on the apparatus main body. Then, when a developer discharge port of the developer housing container communicates with a developer replenishment port of the developing device, the developer comes to be replenishable to the developing device.
There has been known a technique where the developer housing container includes a storage unit having an IC chip for transmitting and receiving predetermined information with the apparatus main body. As a communication method where the storage unit transmits and receives information with the apparatus main body, there has been a wireless or a contact communication method. The contact communication method has a simple configuration compared with the wireless communication method, and has an advantage in cost. When the contact communication method is employed, in a state where the developer housing container is mounted on the apparatus main body, terminals of the storage unit contacts terminals of a connector located on the apparatus main body so as to be electrically connected.